IWorCon aims to improve working conditions in the social services sector and further build capacity for social dialogue and employers’ organisations.
The IWorCon project is coming to an end. On 6 February, project partners, employers’ organisations, trade unions, social services providers, and researchers gathered for the project’s final conference.
IWorCon focused on improving working conditions in the social services sector, reinforcing the sector’s attractiveness and further building the capacity of employers’ organisations. Managed by UNIPSO (Belgium), the project brought together 17 partners from 13 European countries, including the EU sectoral social partners in social services, the Social Employers and EPSU.
The final conference highlighted key project outcomes, including recommendations on improving working conditions in social services. The 10 recommendations focus on a wide range of topics in the field of risk assessment, prevention, and workplace well-being. They are available in English, Finnish, French, German, Greek and Spanish.
IWorCon also produced a guide on building and managing effective employers’ organisations in social services. Developed through study visits to employers’ organisations in six countries, the guide covers topics such as governance and strategy, membership, financing, social dialogue, communication and representation. The guide is available in English, Bulgarian, Greek, Polish and Romanian.
Additionally, the final conference discussed the role of AI and digital tools in enhancing working conditions. Speakers presented real-world applications of AI and digitalisation in social services, such as AI-driven staff scheduling, automated meeting documentation, and digital training programmes. Participants emphasised the importance of transparent communication, training, and a bottom-up approach to AI adoption.
Project partners are committed to continuing their collaboration on topics such as physical and psychosocial risk prevention, the follow-up on the European Care Strategy implementation, and capacity building for employers’ organisations in social services. This includes a new project set to launch in April 2025.
Supporting documents:
Final conference presentations
For more information on IWorCon, visit the project webpage.
*This publication reflects the authors’ views only. The Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.